The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1887-05-20

/ WY. Inc HOTse ~ pEdnciHg On Ills
tail and hind legs, which support chs
whole, Louis is riding directly into
the bank. This is al imposing build.
ing, the ancient Hotel de la Briltiere.
Guards marched to and fro before the
iron gate of entrance; they let me &C
in with the resigned Indifference with
which Frenchmen now regard any con:
duct OF the emancipated American
women, The concierge, however, pc:
litely inquired what in the world
tempted me to think of crossing the
great courtyard. / had q neat little
French sentence carefully. parsed and
corrected in my mind, all ready for
him.
"Sir," said I, sit is the affair OF q
bank note torn
"Ah, said he. ''the affair of a bank
note! Then you must not come in
here, but 60 round to the other en-
trance on Cross-of.the little Fields
street"
This relieved me a great deal, for
thought if there was an entrance
wholly dedicated to torn bank notes
my case could not be so very alarm
ipgly exceptional. He added: "You
must ask for the bureau de la compta-
bilite DIES billets."
Trying to keep this long term In my
head, went round to the other en-
trance, and found myself in large
court. Swinging glass doors led to a
huge hall with broad marble stairs
leading up to endless offices and de-
partments. Inquiring my way of
many obliging gentlemen in dark
green liveries, reached cozy little
room Ike lawyers office. Here a
friendly man at desk heard my tale,
looking at the note, and repeated the
cheering statement: "'The note is
good" This gave me courage to say
that supposed it was not the only in-
stance of the kind.
Regard, madame" said he, and
showed me, laid out carefully, each on
a piece Of white paper, little pile of
bank notes, burnt to the crisp, not a
trace of any lettering or number left
on them.
"You can not identify these" Isaid.
''We seek to-" he replied, with a shrug.
'These are but specimens of some thou
sands of francs lately destroyed by fire
at Bordeaux.
He then asked if l were married, and
on my confessing myself mademoiselle
he began to write on a blank my name,
station and address. He asked the
circumstances as a doctor asks the
symptoms. AS told them he wrote
them down on the blank, and then
read me what he had written. Case
of note torn through inadvertence;
placed in small sack, the other con-
tents made hole in the bill; impossi-
BILE to preserve the fragments. /"
This [ signed, and of course, gave
to him the billet de banque.
''Now, mademoiselle,' he said, 'you
will have your note. However, some
delay is necessary. This is now the
Friday. On the Monday, or perhaps
later, since Sunday intervenes, you will
receive at your address a letter from
the Bank of France. With that letter
you will return here, and you will re-
ceive your note. Bon jour, mademoi-
selle." "Bon jour, monsieur" and
"bon jour" all the way down stairs and
out of the building to and from every
body [ met.
Days rolled on and received no let
ter. 1 thought perhaps paternal
French Government had need of my
twenty dollars. But one day when I
went into the conciergerie to pet the
cats, Marie handed me a great envel-
ope, stamped Banque de la France.
Comptabilite DIES Billets, addressed
"Mademoiselle Hale Suzan, Rantiere, Is
Rue d Alger, Paris 1t was all printed
inside, with blanks for name and ad-
dress, and said that, considering one
thing and another, I might have new
bill if would come and get it. So
repaired again to the bank and found
myself in the little den. My monsieur
was there, and herecognized me with
a bow. Between ourselves | do not be-
lieve another human being had been
there since my first visit. He waved
me, however, to another monsieur sit
ting at another desk, and when I be-
gan "C'est wous, je crois, monsieur. "
mo, no." he intimated; ''this other is
greater than L" This other took nv
letter and made a pretense of fumb-
ling in huge ledgers bound in the
bright green chamois leather which the
French affect. He made me sign my
name several times, and then started
me with slip of paper in charge of a
liveried person up more stairs and
through corridors, till we came to a
place like a bank, with cashiers coun-
tiers behind glass. More slips of paper
to sign. The Bank of France pos
sesses now, l think, six specimens Of
my handwriting. A cashier at last
handed me out bank-note for one
hundred francs-not fresh one, even
then, but jagged and ragged. My liv,
cried escort was waiting, and escorted
me down to the chief stairway, and
joyfully emerged upon the street. with
a firm resolve, which recommend to
my readers, to take good care in future
of my billets de banque.
After all it was a good experience.
And think of the practice in French
They we're all of them very friendly.
do not know what happens in ou1
country if you lose corner of q
twenty-dollar bill, but | have told you
what happens in France.
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